Oak Ridge football springs into action; meet new coach Derek Rang on April 19
After an "exhaustive" search through more that 50 applicants, Oak Ridge football in January hired Derek Rang as its new head coach. As a player, Rang was part of three state championship teams at Maryville. He led Lewis County to an 11-2 record in 2022.
Rang has hit the ground running and has a lot on his agenda for this spring. Here's an update:
Meet the Coach
Come out to Oakey's Sports Grill, 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, to meet coach Rang and hear him talk Oak Ridge Wildcat football. Seating is first come, first served, and attendees may order from Oakey's regular menu. Rang will sit for an interview, and fans are welcome to comment or ask questions. Prepradio and local Comcast Channel 15 will carry the event live, and viewers will be able to call in to ask questions or comment, as well. This is a great chance for ORHS football fans to hear about coach Rang's approach to football and to get his take on his personnel and the 2023 season.
Liftathon
The annual Liftathon will be April 24-25 in the ORHS weightroom. The public is invited to watch the guys hit maxes after a long spring of hard work. Look for more details nearer to the event.
Spring Practice
Now that the Ben Martin Track upgrade is finished, Spring Practice will return to the ORHS practice field. Dates:
April 26 and 27
May 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 15
Scrimmage
The Cats will scrimmage at Rhea County this year at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16.
Allen Etheridge is assistant athletic director at Oak Ridge High School.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Oak Ridge football springs into action; meet new coach April 19
